Belt-conveyer.



W. W. STEPHENS. BELT COHVEYER. Arrucmn r|1Eo,|u|.Y2s.'1915. RENEWED NOV. 12 19:7.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918 WILEY w. 's'rnrnens, or AURORA, rumors, nssrenoa: ro srnrnEn-Aparason co, n'oonroaarroit or KLLINOIS.

reas ess.

BELT GONVEYEJRI.

. To all whom it may concern? Beit-known that I, WILEY N. S'rsrnnns,

'" a citizenof the United States, and resident of Aurora, county of Kane, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Conveyers, of

which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

-The invention relates to belt conveyors and contemplates a construction in which.

the belt carriers are formed by the connection ofa plurality of similar sections or units each comprising a pulley or roller and a holder therefor. The objector the invention is accordingly to providev a belt conveyer-in which the .belt carriers are of 'lIlGXPGIlSlVG but eflectlve constructlon and may be varied in form or size by the rearrangement of the sections from which they are composed orby the addition or removal of sections.

In theaccompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a detail transverse sectional view showing one form of belt conveyer embodying the features of improvement. provided by the invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 1 butshows a modified form of belt carrier,

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detail end view of the carrier illustrated in Fig. 3.

The drawings illustrate the application of the invention to the construction of two forms of belt carriers generally designated 10 and 11, respectively. Carriers of either of the forms may be used for supporting a conveyor vbelt, as 12 or 13, at intervals ,throughout the upper or load carrying length of the belt. In either case the belt is troughed or curved to increase its holding capacity. Each of the carriers 10 and 11 is formed by the connection of a plurality of like units or sections 14:, each comprising arelatively short pulley or roller 15. The number of sections or units 14 employed in each carrier is preferably sufficient to provide rollers 15 for engaging the under side of the belt 12 or 13 throughout substantially the entire width of the same.

The roller 15 of each of the sections 14 is rotatably supported between the arms,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5,?3181'. Renewed November 12, 1917. Serial No. 201,659.

I as 16, 17, of a Ushaped bracket 19. For

this purpose a spindle 20 may be employed for igidly-connecting the two arms 16, 17, of the bracket 19 and the roller 15 is rotatably mounted on the spindle, all as more fully shown in my application for patent on pulley which is filed concurrently with this application. For strengthening the brackets 19 and to facilitate the connection of the several sections 1d in VilIflOllS. ways,

a channeled base plate 21, having downthe outer units 1% oppositely inclined and the intermediate units occupying a horizontal position, For this purpose, channeledconnecting plates 25, 26, are employed. Each of these connecting plates is preferably of such width and depth as to permit of its opposite end portions being fitted against the under side of base plates 21 of the adjacent sections 14, between the flanges \Vhen the carrier is composed of four of the sections 14, as shown in Fig. 1, two of the connecting plates, as 25, 26, have oppositely inclined end portions 27, 28, and an intermediate straight portion 29, while the remaining connecting plate 26 is made straight throughout its length. In this instance, the end portions 27, 28, of each of the connecting plates 25 is fitted within the channels of the base plates 21 of two adjacent sections 11 and they may be rigidly united therewith by the use of the same bolts, as 30, which serve for connecting the base plates 21 with the cross members 24 of the corresponding brackets 19. Similarly the channeledbase plates 21 of the two intermediate sections 1% are fitted over the opposite 'end portions of the connecting plate 26-and are rigidly connected thereto bythe use of the same bolts, as 31, which serve for uniting the adjacent ends of the base. plates 21 with the corresponding brackets 19.

In using the construction just described,

a fixed support, as 32, is provided the outer sections 1 1 is rigidly mounted upouone-of these supports. As shown, a bracket 33 is provided at each side." Each oi? these v 'ports 39.

brackets may be formed with horizontalbottom flange 34. for engaging the top of the corresponding support 32 and an in clined upper flange 35 which is bolted against the under side of the base plate 21 of the adjacent section 14. The width of the complete carrier 10 is determined by the number of sections 14 employed in its construction and the relative arrangement of these sections is determined by the form ofthe connecting plates 25 and 26. It accordingly follows that a selected number of identical sections or units 14 may be employed tor the construction of belt carriers of various widths and forms.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the carrier 11, is constructed by flexibly connecting a number of the sections 14. For this purpose links 36, 37, are extended between adjacent sections 14 at opposite sides. These links are pivotally united with the adjacent sections, as by means of bolts 38 which, as shown, pass through the depending flanges 22, 23 of the corresponding baseplate 21 and through both of the links 36 and 37.

The carrier 11 serves for troughing the belt 13 upon a substantially continuous curve. If desired, provision may be made for varying the depth of this curve. As shown, a fixed support 39 is provided at each side of the belt 13 and an adjustable bracket; 40 is mounted upon ca ch of the sup- .Preferably each bracket 40 is composed of a pair of pivotally connected sections 41, 42, and each section comprises a pair of laterally separated side plates, as 46, 47, and 48, 49. The side plates 46, 47 of the section 41 are bolted upon the cor-- responding support 39. The side plates 48, 49, of the section 42, on the other hand are each pivotally connected with one of the flangcs 22, 23, ot' the base plate 21 ot' the adjacent carrier section 14. For this purpose a single pivot bolt 43 is preferably oxtendcd througl'i'both the said side plates and flanges.

The adjustment of the carrier '11. is accomplished by swinging the sections of the supporting brackets 40 at each side. To this end a screw bolt 44. is employed for connecting the two sections 41, 42, of each bracket. As shown, each bolt 44 is formed with an eye 45 at one end for engaging the corresponding pivot bolt 43. The other end of each bolt 44 threaded and provided with nuts which engage a cross'member 45 of the bracket section 41 upon opposite sides. As in the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the width of the fied to support wider belts by the introduction of additional sections 14.

I claim as my invention,

1. A conveyor comprising, in combination, a belt, a pair of fixed supports, one at each side of the belt, a plurality of belt engaging rollers having their axes in'a common plane which is transverseto the belt. a plurality of like separateU-shaped brackets, the arms of each bracket embracing and rotatably supporting oneof the rollers, means connecting the cross member of the outer bracket at each side of the belt to the corresponding one of the said fixed supports and means, other than the last named connecting means, uniting the cross members of adjacent brackets.

2. A eonveyer comprising, in combination, a belt, a plurality of belt engaging rollers having their axes in a common plane which is transverse to the belt, a plurality of like separate U-shap'ed brackets, the arms of each bracket embracing and rotatably supporting one of the rollers, a-fixed sup- 4. A conveyor comprising, in combination,

a belt. a pair of fixed supports. one at each side oF the belt. a plurality of belt engaging-rollers havingtheir axes in a common plane which is transverse to the belt, a plurality o't' likesoparate .U-shaped brackets each having a channeled base with a depending flange at each side and arms embracing and rotatably supporting one of the rollers, means connecting the base of the oulr-r brackct at each side of the belt to the corresponding one of the said fixed supports and a plurality of separate pairs of upright plates, the plates of each pair lying against and connecting the base flanges of two adjacent brackets.

WILEY W. STEPHENS. 

